Public Image Ltd, Glasgow review: 'a tight team effort'
For all John Lydon’s dominant presence, there was no denying that this was an impressive group performance from some magnificent musicians, writes Fiona Shepherd
Public Image Ltd, Kelvingrove Bandstand, Glasgow ★★★★
This year’s feelgood Summer Nights season at the gorgeous Kelvingrove Bandstand opened with a provocateur in a tartan waistcoat and sporran mock-baiting the crowd with a “hello Edinburgh” greeting. John Lydon tends to pop up these days grouching about his former Sex Pistols bandmates but this was his more eloquent showcase for his true talent, fronting the mighty Public Image Ltd on the defiantly named This Is Not the Last Tour. Even with a swampy sound mix to start, the foreboding power of Home cut through.
Lydon is a remarkable vocal stylist and was in impressive form throughout, barking political maxims on the hip-hop adjacent World Destruction, his collaboration with Afrika Bambaataa. For all his dominant presence, there was no denying that this was a tight team effort from some magnificent musicians, with new drummer Mark Roberts fitting right in beside bassist Scott Firth and “Super” Lu Edmonds, part of a long line of visionary PIL guitarists.
Lydon was clearly in his pussycat place as he emphasized “you brought me happiness and sunshine” on an irresistibly funky This Is Not a Love Song, before pitching straight into the dubby metallic punk confluence of Poptones. The audacious Death Disco still sounded like the future, while Flowers of Romance shifted the musical axis with Firth on symphonic synths and Edmonds attacking a lute with a bow over insistent tribal beats. The latter was so immersed in the groove of Warrior that he overshot the ending.
Following a typically torrid Public Image, the band took a quick cigarette break before returning for what others might term an encore, kicking off with a suitably expansive Open Up. The crowd were ahead of Lydon with Rise’s mantra “anger is an energy” before the band threw down the gauntlet to their Summer Nights successors with the propulsive intensity of Annalisa.
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